From Hellmann with Love: Delivering Chocolates to the Middle East for Valentine's Day
Hellmann was tasked with ensuring a global confectionery manufacturer's chocolates and confectionery reached their destination in the Middle East in time for Valentine's Day, one of the busiest times for the industry. The challenge was to meet the peak demand while simultaneously ensuring that the products reached in a perfectly delicious condition.
Starting Situation
The confectionery manufacturer approached Hellmann with the task to transport their confectionery from Germany and Switzerland to the Middle East for Valentine's Day, a peak season for the chocolate industry.
The first and last quarter of the year are the busiest times for the cake and confectionary industry due to Valentine's Day and other festive holidays. Therefore, meeting the peak demand during this period was crucial. Chocolates and confectionery are sensitive consumer goods that require a temperature-controlled environment and must be handled and shipped with care, especially in the destination countries UAE and Saudi Arabia with a very warm climate.
The challenge was to meet the peak demand while simultaneously ensuring that the products reached the shelf in perfect condition.
Solution
Hellmann worked backward from the expected dates of the goods and align with the factories at origin to ensure that the cargo-ready date was as per plan. This required regular and transparent communication with the factories to mitigate challenges related to production and quality. The pick-up of goods at the factories in Germany and Switzerland were tightly coordinated to ensure the temperature-controlled containers were loaded onto the vessels in Bremerhaven and Antwerp just in time.
Once the containers reached their destination port Jebel Ali and Jeddah, they were cleared and delivered within agreed service timelines to be available on the shelves in the markets in the UAE and Saudi Arabia at the right time.
Throughout the entire journey, data loggers were used to ensure that the quality and temperature of the goods were kept intact throughout the process.
Hellmann successfully met the peak season demand for the global confectionery manufacturer, ensuring that their chocolates and confectionery reached their destination in the Middle East in time for Valentine's Day. By leveraging their supply chain visibility, industry expertise, and dedication, Hellmann ensured that the supply chain remained uninterrupted, keeping the Valentine's Day experience sweet for all.
"Peak season demand presents us with the opportunity to showcase our logistics expertise for the consumer goods industry. We prioritize our customers and maintain transparent communication to ensure the successful and timely delivery of sensitive goods such as chocolates and confectionery. Our industry knowledge and supply chain visibility are critical in meeting peak season demand, and we are dedicated to ensuring delicious festive days for everyone." - Rachael van Harmelen, Director of Global Key Accounts, Hellmann Consumer Goods Logistics.
